Raise your hand if you wish DJ Premier would lock in more often. One can’t fairly say work more: based on his frequent touring and what his social posts reveal, he seems to, at the very least, constantly be tinkering. Yet, with the likes of The Alchemist and (a more generationally appropriate comparison) DJ Muggs constantly linking up with anyone who inspires them for off-the-cuff projects, I can’t help but wish one of the greatest to ever do it would do the same.
Just imagine Premo dropping with Boldy or 2 Chainz (whom he has linked up with, mind you) or, hell, Sticky Fingaz (a very personal hope of mine, admittedly). Instead, he seems largely content to slide by with minor appearances on albums, lend his name to records he only partially works on (see MC Eiht’s pretty good Which Way iz West), and keep fans tantalized in hope of PRhyme 3, Big Shug’s long-gestating Undefeated, and the seemingly close (!!) Nas album.
So, then, the seemingly organic genesis of his collaboration with Roc Marciano,The Coldest Profession, was an exciting prospect. Indeed, they’re eager to talk up how casually they finally linked up after years of mutual admiration across the intro and “Armani Section”, a song released rather long before the arrival of this final product. As they shopped about, Roc decided to call out the producing legend: when were they gonna get in the studio, already?
Naturally, it’s a joyous occasion that they finally made it happen, but neither seems overly concerned with meeting the expectations that inevitably come with two figures of their stature putting out a record. The Coldest Profession plays much more like a laidback night of old friends chopping it up and enjoying each other’s company than as a statement with a particular vision (not to mention goals).
In this regard, the album leaves me feeling torn: needless to say, there’s nothing wrong with two masters of their respective crafts deciding to just kick back and have a good time across a short (under 20 minutes), ramshackle album. Even more importantly, I think the last thing any discerning (read: not hyper-critical) rap head would want is for legends to shy away link-ups of this nature – already tragically scarce enough – out of fear of not meeting (or exceeding) preconceptions of what they should be able to do together. If kicking out some humble jams is where Premo is finding inspiration in 2025, by all damn means, give us more of that.
That said, it’s also, inevitably, hard not to wish he’d broken a bit more of a sweat, rather than being contented with beats that don’t tend to go beyond a leisurely jog. The man responsible for Moment of Truth, Livin’ Proof, and, hell, even Tha Blaqprint (no one can tell me those beats don’t slide) dropping by with a relatively forgettable batch of beats can’t help but feel a tad disappointing. Especially when they’re paired with a gifted MC who’s previously been blessed by great work from the likes of the aforementioned Muggs and Alchemist (not to mention his own oft fantastic production). In his defense, “RocMarkable” and “Execution Style” have a nice glide to them, but even they never seem to quite reach their full potential, Premo stretching his muscles a bit, rather than fully flexing.
At the end of the day, The Coldest Profession is a charming, low-stakes little jamboree. A respectful gift for the art in which they’ve made careers and spent their lives: it’s a beautiful thing that it exists at all. A little meal we can be grateful for. Still, it’s likely to leave you with a bit of a pang in your stomach.
